1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of personal computers which are mobile. Specifically, the present invention pertains to the configuration of mobile personal computers within various local area networks.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An increasing number of companies are boosting the productivity of field personnel by equipping them with laptop computers. These mobile professionals need easy access to the corporate network from a variety of sites: branch offices, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, customer sites, hotel rooms, and even home.
Providing network access to a growing mobile workforce poses a significant challenge for the information technology (IT) staff. Remote access involves entering complicated connection settings manually each time the user attempts to access the network from a different site. Research indicates that business travelers typically spend about 20 minutes adjusting PC settings every time they arrive at a new location. This nonproductive time increases significantly if the user enters incorrect information and must spend time finding and fixing the problem. In many cases, the user calls the help desk for assistance. The costs associated with the loss in productivity for the mobile professional and the increased support costs can approach $1 million for a company with 1,000 mobile users.
The IT staff is tasked with simplifying remote access to eliminate downtime and reduce cost of supporting mobile user. IT needs ways to automate, as much as possible, the changing of computer settings when connecting to the network from different locations. The solution must be easy to deploy and manage by the IT staff.
Mobile users face difficulties when connecting to a network from multiple locations. Additional burden is placed on the IT staff in supporting mobile users.
The cost of providing mobile access is high. IT professionals need to position their companies to take on a rapidly growing number of mobile users. Almost one in five computers sold today is a laptop. Approximately 13.9 million laptops were sold to mobile professionals in 1999, and the number will rise to 23.9 million by 2002. These mobile professionals need to access their computer networks from multiple locations. Many of them also need to access other networks. Consultants, for example, need to access multiple client networks as well as their own.
The growing number of mobile users drives up support costs and places increasing demands on an already overburdened IT staff. The complications introduced by frequently adjusting to different work environments make it more difficult and more expensive to support mobile users due to the increase in dedicated help desk estaff that they require. That's because users have to change a number of settings, such as dialing and IP settings, every time they attempt to access a network from a different site. In addition, the growing popularity of telecommuting and the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) is fueling the demand for new communications technologies, such as cable modems and ADSL solutions. These technologies further complicate mobile connections and aggravate the support problem.
Dialing-in creates problems. Dialing issues are the most common source of end-user downtime and involve a large number of cumbersome and error-prone settings. Users must set the correct dial-in telephone number, which is particularly difficult because telephone numbers change continually due to new area codes and new dial-in access lines. Keeping users updated with the most recent phone numbers adds to the cost of supporting them.
Users must also specify any required dialing prefixes, such as 9 for an outside line and whether a 1 is required before the area code for long-distance calls. These prefixes may also involve the setting of delays, for example, between the 9 for an outside line and the 1 for long distance. Entering the correct calling card sequence is also cumbersome, requiring the user to enter the calling card number, a personal identification number, and any required delays between these numbers. Dialing is especially difficult for international travelers because dialing sequences vary considerably from country to country.
Changing locations is complicated. Remote access is burdensome and time consuming for mobile professionals, particularly for those who are not familiar with networking terminology.
As is apparent from the above discussion, a need exists for a solution which allows the IT department to provide mobile users with a fast, easy way to switch their PCs to adjust for location changes. In this way the staff can help increase user productivity and, at the same time, minimize support costs by reducing the number of long-distance and toll calls to the help desk.